How to stop imposter syndrome and start your dream business
Imposter syndrome are the thoughts and feelings that you are some kind of a fraud, you will get found out that you are not good enough and you feel totally out of your depth, regardless of the evidence to the contrary. These thoughts and feelings, if left unchecked, can mean that you talk yourself out of starting up your dream business, or want to give up as soon as things get a bit tough - and unfortunately, when starting up a business, things will get tough from time to time!
Let’s get inside your head...
Have you ever thought any of these things:
“Why would anyone want to work with me?”
“What if I can’t help my client?”
“I got little engagement on my last blog post, I must be crap”
“This new client will realise I don’t know what I’m doing”
“I’m not experienced enough to be taking on this project”
“They’re going to realise I’m not as good as I made out in my pitch and sack me”
If you are nodding, you are not alone! Statistically, up to 70% of us will struggle with the imposter syndrome at some point in our lives. That means, for the majority of us, this is a shared experience. Put another way, potentially 7 out of 10 businesses may never have got started if the individuals behind them didn’t find a way to quieten that inner critic and build the businesses they love - and are awesome at!
The thing to remember is that your thoughts are not facts. Your self-doubt is trying to protect you by keeping you in your comfort zone, where, as the name suggests, you feel comfortable! But this self-doubt isn’t always right or justified. Yes, starting a business may be scary. Yes, starting a business has uncertainty. Yes, starting a business is hard work. But starting a business is also exciting, rewarding and may give your life a level of purpose and fulfilment that you would never feel staying in a corporate position.
Are you ready to look back from your future?
If you project yourself into the future and look back at your life, what feels more frightening to you: staying as you are and keeping on your current [career] path or trying to start up your own business? When you have self-doubt, it is sometimes easier to avoid the situation you fear but passivity has a consequence as well. Projecting yourself into the future allows you the opportunity to reflect on a longer-term view of your life, maybe playing out a few scenarios, and then deciding which path is actually best for you.
You may decide that continuing on your current path is the right choice for you - and there is no shame in that, if that is what you really want. But ensure you make this decision consciously. Give yourself the chance to explore the options available to you. Your zone of genius may be on the corporate ladder or it may just as easily be as an entrepreneur - you just haven’t expanded into this comfort zone yet! Don’t let your absolute genius be squashed by your inner critic before you have considered all your options!
